Apparatus for adhering and interlocking mitered molding strips to a panel

ABSTRACT

The machine operates upon a pair of mitered molding strips positioned on a flat base against guide rails at right angles to each other, to force their mating edges together and maintain them so while a clamp nail is driven into the juxtaposed strip ends to interlock the strips, thus forming an L-shaped member. A second L-shaped member is similarly formed of a second pair of mitered strips. To form a frame per se, each L-shaped member has one strip thereof positioned against one of the rails and the operation is repeated to interlock the juxtaposed ends of the two members. Finally, the two members which are interlocked at one end are withdrawn and reinserted after turning through an angle of 180 degrees, to interlock the opposite juxtaposed ends, thus completing the frame. To secure the two L-shaped members to a rectangular panel, they are fitted against the panel edges and with the panel between them the operations of interlocking the opposite ends of the members is repeated.

United States Patent 1 Blevio 1 May 22,1973

[76] Inventor: Henry L. Blevio, 1 Diamond Road,

Danbury, Conn. 06810 [22] Filed: Mar. 10, 1971 21 App]. No.: 122,944

[52] US. Cl. ..227/l48 [51] Int. Cl. ..B27f 7/02 [58] Field of Search ..227/26, 30, 140,

Primary Examiner--Granville Y. Custer, Jr. Attorney-Frank Ledermann [5 7] ABSTRACT The machine operates upon a pair of mitered molding strips positioned on a flat base against guide rails at right angles to each other, to force their mating edges together and maintain them so while a clamp nail is driven into the juxtaposed strip ends to interlock the strips, thus forming an L-shaped member. A second L- shaped member is similarly formed of a second pair of mitered strips. To form a frame per se, each L-shaped member has one strip thereof positioned against one of the rails and the operation is repeated to interlock the juxtaposed ends of the two members. Finally, the

[56] Interfaces Cited two members which are interlocked at one end are UNITED 1 ATES PATENTS withdrawn and reinserted after turning through an angle of 180 degrees, to interlock the opposite ux- 199,579 l/l878 Rose ..227/148 taposed ends, thus completing the frame. To secure 978,187 12/1910 Miller ..227/l52X the two L-shaped members to a rectangular panel, 2,903,699 9/1959 Mazzola ..227/148 they are fitted against the pane] edges and with the 3,597,l42 8/1971 Jasper ..227/95 pane] between h the operations of interlocking the opposite ends of the members is repeated.

4 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures I9 38 4 -i l f 7 l 6 36 32 32 I, 29 25 35 35 2| 1 l 23 I6 43 2I fi. A I /lo 22- .l' 1

: l4 2 1 I I7 39 J I? 4 I I r"-' Patented May 22, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 TO AIR SUPPLY FIGS ll HENRY L. BLEVIO gzpw d ibau FIG.4

ATTORNEY Patented May .22, 1973 3,734,381

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 F IG.I3

INVENTOR. HENRY L. BLEVIO ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1973 3,734,381

5 Sheets-Shoot 5 7 11/11 1 & 5

INVEN HENRY L. BLE

ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR ADHERING AND INTERLOCKING MITERED MOLDING STRIPS TO A PANEL The present invention relates to wood working machines, and more particularly to an apparatus for adhering and interlocking mitered molding strips to panels.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus for adhering and interlocking mitered molding strips to panels which will expedite the producing of kitchen cabinets, closet doors and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described which will have guide rail means on the base portion into which are forcibly urged a pair of adjacent molding strips which will have their mutually adjacent 45 angle edges in contact, the force being applied to the strips by angularly disposed air-operated pistons in order that a clamp nail can be forcibly driven into a slot of the mitered joint by another air-operated piston.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which will have a block with throat means and projection means for guiding the ram driven clamp nail into the mitered joint in order to prevent the possibility of rupturing the material the nail is being driven into.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which will not only function as a means for expediting the production of doors, but will also be adaptable to adhering and interlocking mitered picture frame strips and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for adhering and interlocking mitered molding strips to panels, which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention showing the air lines disconnected for the purpose of clarity and the view also shows the clamp nail magazine in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1, showing in phantom a rectangular panel having two complementary L- shaped molding members in position against the side edges thereof and in place against the guide rails of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the air-feed system of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4, showing the clamp nail magazine and its supporting plates in phantom;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and shows a clamp nail preparatory to being driven into a mitered corner formed by a first pair of two pairs of mutually adjacent molding strips;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a typical door after being glued and clamp nailed by the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of a typical clamp nail shown in elevation;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line l010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side view of the nail driving member and its related components, shown in elevation and in section, the guide throat black member being removed therefrom;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary outside corner view of a door shown prior to receiving the clamp nail, the view being shown in elevation;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged front perspective view showing particularly the nail driving ram and throat black member of the apparatus;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view taken along the line 14l4 of FIG. 13, showing a clamp nail in position to be driven into a mitered corner, the clamp nail being shown in section;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the slotted and mitered edge of a molding strip; and

FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 6, but showing the feet members of the upper air cylinders of the apparatus, holding the second of said two pairs of mitered molding strips for clamp nailing.

Wherever glue is referred to herein it is to be understood that the glue has been applied by hand, as with a brush, prior to insertion of the objects into the machine.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a machine 10 has a flat base 11 upon which a pair of guide rails 12 are secured at right angles to each other by screw fasteners 12', so as to form ajig-like means for properly mating the mitered ends of a pair of molding strips. For the sake of clarification, the four molding strips shown bear reference numerals 131a, 131b, 1320 and 132b. The rear ends of the rails are spaced equidistantly from the median line of the right angle between the rails. Mounted on the base 11 is an upstanding support frame 25 consisting primarily of two spaced vertical end plates 21 spaced equidistantly from the said median line and a top horizontal frame member 20 joining the plates 21.

Two air cylinders 16 are suspended from the member 20 by swivels 19 attached to the member 20 and also spaced equidistantly from the said median line and whose pivot axes are so disposed as to tend to maintain the two cylinders in vertical planes adjacent the juxtaposed inner edges of the rails 12. Each of the piston rods 15 of the cylinders 16 has a hardwood foot 14 secured to its outer end by a swivel bracket 18, and each foot 14 has secured to its flat bottom a rubber pad 17 which prevents marring or otherwise damaging the molding strips during operation of the machine.

Spaced below the top frame member 20 and above the base 1 1, with their ends rigidly secured to the plates 21, are two horizontal bars 22 and 23. The bar 22 is angle-shaped in cross-section and therefor lacks flexibility and resiliency; it is positioned at the front of frame 25. The bar 23 is rectangular in cross-section, as is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 4, and thus, inview of its positioning as shown, at the rear of the frame 25, possesses a degree of resilience and flexibility. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower portions of the cylinders 16 normally rest by gravity against the front bar 22 which is so positioned that the cylinders are aimed at similar angles downward and rearward. The bar 23 has two spaced forwardly projecting tabs 24 so situated thereon that their concave ends 24a are in engagement with the lower portions of the cylinders 16 and serve as guide means and holding means, in addition to the swivels 19, to maintain the two cylinders in the above-mentioned vertical planes during operation of the machine.

An air pressure indicating gauge 26 is supported upon a pair of parallel spaced apart members 27 which are secured fixedly in a suitable manner to the U- shaped channel member 20, the location of gauge 26 being optional. A double-acting pneumatic foot pedal valve 28 is used to simultaneously actuate the pair of air operated cylinders 16 for forcibly urging a pair of mitered molding strips rearward along the guide rails 12 of apparatus 10. An air line 29 carrying air under pressure from a supply source is secured to one side of foot pedal valve 28 and an air line 30 extending from the opposite side of valve 28 is connected between a pair of air pressure control valves 31, the opposite sides of which are secured to air lines 32 which are in turn connected to the upper extremities of the pair of air cylinders 16 in order that-the piston rods 15 of air cylinders 16 may be urged downwards to forcibly carry a first pair of mating mitered molding strips 131a and 131b, FIG. 6, rearward along the guide rails 12. This is the first phase of step 1, and in their consequent slight rearward swinging movement the cylinders bend the resilient bar 23 slightly. An air line 33 is connected to valve 28 also and is secured between a pair of air control valves 34, the opposite sides of which are secured to air lines 35, one each being secured to the lower extremity of the upper air cylinder 16, this arrangement being such that after their intended use, the piston rods 15 will be returned to their full upward position within air cylinders 16 and resilient bar 23 restores the cylinders to their normal position of rest against the bar 22.

For the second phase of step 1 of operation of apparatus 10, a double acting push button pneumatic valve 36 is secured to frame 25 in a suitable manner. Push button valve 36 is fed air in the same manner from the air supply as is the foot pedal valve 28, the air line 29 being secured to one side of valve 36. When the push button 37 is pressed, air line 38 connected to valve 36 supplies air to the rear of air cylinder 39 mounted to base 11, the result causing the piston rod 40 of cylinder 39 attached to block 41, to urge the driving ram 42 forward towards the front of apparatus in order to clampingly secure the pair of mitered molding strips 131a and 1311) together in a manner which hereinafter will be described. This is done while the cylinders 16 remain actuated to maintain the strips held tightly together.

When the push button 37 is released by the operator, an air line 43 connected to valve 36 and to the forward end of cylinder 39 will cause the piston rod 40 to be retracted into cylinder 39 in a manner similar to that described of the upper air cylinders 16.

Driving ram 42 is secured to block 41 of piston rod 40 by means ofa screw fastener 44 within the drive ram assembly 45 of apparatus 10. The drive ram assembly 45 includes a pair of parallel spaced apart side walls 46 in which is secured fixedly, a pair of parallel spaced apart guide rails 47 between which the driving ram 42 slides when cylinder 39 is actuated. A guide block 48 is secured to base 1 1 of apparatus 10 by means of a pair of screw fasteners 49. The guide block 48 is secured between the side walls 46 of the drive ram assembly 45.

.A plurality of vertically stacked clamp nails 50 are gravity fed from within a clamp nail magazine 51 secured to side walls 46 of the drive ram assembly 45. Clamp nail magazine 51 is held in position to the side walls 46 by means of a pair of plates 52. When the drive ram 42 delivers a single clamp nail through guide block 48, the side rail portions 53 of clamp nail 50 are confined within a throat slot 54 of guide block 48, thus preventing any lateral movement thereof as it is urged into a pair of forcibly mated molding strips.

Guide block 48 is also provided with forwardly extending projections 55 which define a 90 corner 56 within the upper extremity of the guide block 48. The lower extremity of guide block 48 also defines a corner 57 of 90 and a projection 58 extends downwards and forms a sliding guide means against the web portion 59 of clampnail 50, the web portion 59 being centrally disposed and integral with the side rail portions 53 of clamp nail 50.

As will be seen more readily in FIGS. 7, 8, l5 and 16 of the drawings, a step portion 60 of the mitered molding strips is held beneath the projections 55 of guide block 48 when apparatus 10 is operated. All the molding strips are pre-prepared with a half slot 61 through the mitered end 62 which will form a rectangular slot 63 when the mitered ends 62 of a pair of strips are in abuttment with each other, the arrangement being such so as to receive a clamp nail 50. The mitered ends 62 of a pair of abutting molding strips 13, when glued and clamp nailed by apparatus 10 will form a mitered joint 64.

It shall be noted that a slot 65 through the base 11 of apparatus 10, provides a means of preventing the buildup of glue when the mitered ends 62 of strips 13 are forced together by the feet 14 of the air operated piston rods 15 of the upper air cylinders 16.

When apparatus 10 is used, the operator will place a first pair of mitered molding strips 131a and 131k in place upon base 11 so that the mitered ends 62 thereof are in proper alignment with each other with the outer edges of the strips in engagement with the guide rails 12 secured to base 11. When the foot pedal valve 28 is urged downwards by the operators foot, air is fed to the upper air cylinders 16 by means of air lines 32, the resulting action being that the piston rods 15 of the air cylinders 16 will be urged downwards upon the adjacent molding strips 131a and 131b the feet 14 forcibly urging the strips into the corners 56 and 57 of the guide block 48, thus firmly keeping them there for the second function of apparatus 10.

It shall further be noted that the upper air cylinders 16 are so arranged that the feet 14 will extend downwards in a parallel relationship and alignment with the strips 131a and 131k so as to forcibly urge the strips downwards and into the corner portions 56 and 57 of block 48 in order that they may be interlocked by clamp nail 50, thus forming an L-shaped member 133. The projection 55 of guide block 48 will extend and abut with the upper portion of the corner formed by the mitered ends 62 of the strips, this action serving to prevent the clamp nail 50, when it is driven into the slot 63, from rupturing the material of the strips.

It shall also be noted that the mitered ends 62 of strips 13 are coated with glue by hand with a brush prior to placement in between guide rails 12 of apparatus 10.

After the operator has actuated the cylinder 16 to forcibly urge strips 131a and 131b into the area of throat block 48, he continues to maintain pressure upon the foot pedal valve 28 and then pushes in upon the push button 37 of valve 36. When this occurs, air under pressure actuates the bottom air cylinder 39 which will cause the attached drive ram member 42 to forcibly drive a single clamp nail 50 from its associated magazine 51 into the guide block 48 and on into the slot 63, the result being that the side rail portions of clamp nail 50 in conjunction with the applied glue will permanently couple the molding strips together. When pressure upon foot pedal valve 28 and pressure upon the push button valve 36 is released, the double action of push button valve 36 and the foot pedal valve 28 will cause the feet 14 of upper cylinders 16 and the drive ram member 42 to be retracted for the next step in operation After phases 1 and 2 of above-described step 1 have been completed upon strips 131a and 131b, the L- shaped member 133, FIG. 6, thus formed, is removed from the machine and the second pair of strips 132a and 132b, FIG. 16, are substituted therefor in the machine in the same manner as the said first pair of strips, for the operation of phases 1 and 2 of step 2. The operation upon the said second pair is identical to that described for the first pair, thus forming a second L- shaped member 134, which is then removed.

To secure the two members 133 and 134 to a door panel 13' as seen in FIGS. 2 and 7, these two members are mounted against the four edges of the panel, with the two diagonally opposite unnailed corners 136 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 2 since the corner portion formed by the strips 132a and l3lb is broken away) positioned as shown. Then phase 1 of step 3 is operated, causing the feet 14 to press downward and rearward on the strips 132a and 131b and thus carry both the panel and all four strips rearward, as is obvious. A clamp nail is then applied, as phase 2 in step 3, into the mated ends of the strips 132a and 131b. The whole is then removed and, after turning it through an angle of 180, is again inserted with the strips 132b and 131a in engagement, not shown, with the rails 12 for operation of phases 1 and 2 of step 4 to complete the interlocking of the frame formed by the four strips, about the panel 13. The latter's peripheral lip 13" is glued, as mentioned before, prior to positioning the strips against the panels edges and thus registering the lip 13" in the strip grooves 13".

It is obvious from the above that the four molding strips 131a, 131b, 132a and 132b may be joined together without having any panel engaged by them, to form a picture frame.

The front bar 22 of apparatus serves to prevent the upper air cylinder 16 from pivotting towards the front of apparatus 10 and the rear bar 23 is of sufficiently thin steel as to be flexible enough to be urged rearwards when air operated cylinders 16 are actuated, this it to insure that the feet 14 will positively drive forcefully, the mitered molding strips 13 positively hard against guide block 48 so that there will be no malfunction in the alignment of strips 13 against guide rails 12 and against guide block 48.

It shall further be recognized that the clamp nails 50 are placed into the clamp nail magazine 51 so that the larger and arcuately curved end 50' is the leading edge of the clamp nail 50 when it is driven into the slots 63 of the molding strips 13, this arrangement causing the side rail portion 53 of clamp nail 50 to positively close the mitered joint 64.

I claim:

1. A machine for forcing together the mated edges of two mitered molding strips positioned at right angles to each other and maintaining said edges together so that a clamp nail may be driven into the juxtaposed ends of the strips, consisting of a flat base having a pair of guide rails thereon extending rearward toward each other at right angles to each other, an upstanding support frame on said base positioned at right angles to the median line of the angle between said rails, the rear ends of said rails being spaced equidistantly from said median line, said frame including two vertical end plates and a top horizontal member joining said plates, a pair of cylinders having pistons normally in retracted position, two swivel brackets secured to said top member and spaced equidistantly from said median line, each of said pistons being suspended from one of said swivel brackets, the pivot axes of said swivel brackets being so positioned as to confine said cylinders to swinging movement in vertical planes adjacent the inner edges of said rails, a front horizontal bar extending between said plates and spaced above said base, said cylinders normally resting by gravity on said front bar with the lower portions thereof engaging the bar, said front bar being so spaced above said base as to aim said cylinders at an angle downward and rearward, a resilient rear bar extending horizontally between said plates rearward of said front bar and having two spaced forwardly projecting tabs provided with concave front ends in engagement with the sides of said cylinders opposite the sides thereof which engage said front bar, said pistons having flat-bottomed feet swivelly attached to their outer ends, the machine being adapted to have said two strips slidably mounted on said base against said inner edges of said rails with their mitered edges in mating position, air control means for actuating said cylinders to expel said pistons and hence force said feet downward and rearward against said strips to force said mitered edges thereof tightly together and to maintain them so until a clamp nail has been driven thereinto as aforesaid, and additional air control means for deactuating said cylinders and restoring said pistons to said normally retracted position.

2. A machine according to claim 1, having additional means for driving said clamp nail into said juxtaposed ends of said strips.

3. A machine according to claim I, said feet having rubber pads on the undersides thereof.

4. A machine according to claim 1, having a third air cylinder mounted on said base in alignment with said median line and spaced a distance rearward of said rear ends of said rails, said third cylinder having having a piston provided on its outer end with a clamp nail driver which includes means for holding a clamp nail in position to be driven into said juxtaposed ends of said strip upon actuation of said third cylinder to expel its said piston, air control means for actuating said third cylinder, and air control means for deactuating said third cylinder and rectracting said last-named piston. 

1. A machine for forcing together the mated edges of two mitered molding strips positioned at right angles to each other and maintaining said edges together so that a clamp nail may be driven into the juxtaposed ends of the strips, consisting of a flat base having a pair of guide rails thereon extending rearward toward each other at right angles to each other, an upstanding support frame on said base positioned at right angles to the median line of the angle between said rails, the rear ends of said rails being spaced equidistantly from said median line, said frame including two vertical end plates and a top horizontal member joining said plates, a pair of cylinders having pistons normally in retracted position, two swivel brackets secured to said top member and spaced equidistantly from said median line, each of said pistons being suspended from one of said swivel brackets, the pivot axes of said swivel brackets being so positioned as to confine said cylinders to swinging movement in vertical planes adjacent the inner edges of said rails, a front horizontal bar extending between said plates and spaced above said base, said cylinders normally resting by gravity on said front bar with the lower portions thereof engaging the bar, said front bar being so spaced above said base as to aim said cylinders at an angle downward and rearward, a resilient rear bar extending horizontally between said plates reArward of said front bar and having two spaced forwardly projecting tabs provided with concave front ends in engagement with the sides of said cylinders opposite the sides thereof which engage said front bar, said pistons having flat-bottomed feet swivelly attached to their outer ends, the machine being adapted to have said two strips slidably mounted on said base against said inner edges of said rails with their mitered edges in mating position, air control means for actuating said cylinders to expel said pistons and hence force said feet downward and rearward against said strips to force said mitered edges thereof tightly together and to maintain them so until a clamp nail has been driven thereinto as aforesaid, and additional air control means for deactuating said cylinders and restoring said pistons to said normally retracted position.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, having additional means for driving said clamp nail into said juxtaposed ends of said strips.
 3. A machine according to claim 1, said feet having rubber pads on the undersides thereof.
 4. A machine according to claim 1, having a third air cylinder mounted on said base in alignment with said median line and spaced a distance rearward of said rear ends of said rails, said third cylinder having having a piston provided on its outer end with a clamp nail driver which includes means for holding a clamp nail in position to be driven into said juxtaposed ends of said strip upon actuation of said third cylinder to expel its said piston, air control means for actuating said third cylinder, and air control means for deactuating said third cylinder and rectracting said last-named piston. 